Leg rest mechanism for reclining seating units



Feb. 17, 1959 F. F. SVCHLIEPHACKE LEG REST MECHANISM FOR RECLINING SEATING UNITS 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Nov. .5, 1956 O 2 2 O 2 3 w a I 2 v 0 E 0 7 w a. F .1 n. u I 6 5 w 6 6 B 7 u 2 7 INVENTOR. FR l DTJOF F. SCH LIEPHACKE- fimw Km.

ATTORNEY'S Feb. 17, 1959 F. F. SCHLIEPHACKE LEG REST MECHANISM FOR RECLINING SEATING UNITS Filed Nov. s, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. FRIDTJOF RSCHLIEPHACKE 772mm WZM ATTORNEY'S LEG REST NIECHANISM FOR RECLINING SEATING UNITS Fridtjof F. Schliephacke, Berlin-Schmargendorf, Germany, assignor to Anton Lorenz, Greenwich, Conn.

Application November 5, 1956, Serial No. 620,421 3 Claims. (Cl. 155-106) This invention relates to seating units having elements which may be moved from an upright to a more or less reclining position and which are provided with leg rests supported by linkage which will project the leg rest when the seating elements are moved to a reclining position and will retract the leg rest when the seating units are moved to an upright position.

The objects of the invention are to provide improved linkages for supporting and operating the leg rest in accordance with the movement of the seating elements so as to provide a structure which is compact, strong and has improved operating characteristics. In general, the seating unit comprises a stationary frame or base, a back rest member and a seat. The back rest member -is mounted on the frame to swing about an axis located either at a point substantially above the lower end of the back rest or at or below such lower end. The seat is pivotally supported on the frame or it may be pivoted to the back rest above or below or coincident with the axis about which the back rest swings.

Specific objects and advantages of the invention will appear in the course of the description of certain preferred embodiments of the invention chosen to illustrate the principles thereof.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figures 1 and 2 are side elevations showing oneform of the invention in upright seating and reclining positions, respectively;

Figures 3 and 4 are views similar to Figs. 1 and 2 showing another form of the invention.

Referring to the drawings in detail, the article of furniture comprises a stationary frame or base 20 having legs 22, side frames 24 and arms 26. Any suitable form of frame may of course be employed. 28 is a back rest which is movably mounted on the frame, it being shown in Figures 1 and 2 as pivoted at points 30 above the bottom of the back rest. 32a is a seat which is movably supported so as to be tilted upward at an appropriate angle when the back rest is tilted back. For this purpose the seat may be mounted in various ways but in the particular example shown in Figs. 1 and 2 the seat has lugs 34 projecting from the rear edge thereof which are pivoted to the back rest at point 36a below the axis on which the back rest is pivoted to the frame. This construction results in the seat being moved forward when the back rest is tilted back. The seat is also supported on seat guide levers 44a which are pivoted at 90 to the underside of the seat and at 4611 to the side frame members 24.

The guide levers 44a are also connected with the linkage for operating the leg rest 54. In the present instance, this linkage includes two-armed leg rest guide levers 56a which are pivoted at points 58a to the seat and have arms 57a pivoted at 60 to pull links 6211 which are pivoted at points 64a to the upper ends of guide levers 44a. The lower arms of the guide levers 56a are pivoted at 66 to the ends of links 68, the other ends of which are pivoted United States Patent to the seat.

I links 68 between rest than the pivot points 70.

. is used on each side of the chair.

2,873,791 V Patented Feb. 17, 1959 at 70 to the leg rest 54 towards the rear edge thereof. Guide links 72a are pivoted at 74 to the seat near the front edge thereof. It will be observed that the points 74 are substantially nearer the front edge of the seat than the points 58a where the leg rest guide levers are pivoted Also in the construction illustrated the points 74 are higher, that is nearer the seating surface than the points 58a. The location of the pivot points 58a further back on the seat than the points 74 is important in securing the desired leg rest action. The links 72a cross the the ends thereof and are pivoted to such links at the crossing points 78. The ends of the links 72a beyond the pivot points 78 are pivoted at 80 to links 82 which are pivoted at 84 to the leg rest 54, the pivot points 84 being located nearer the front edge of the leg It will be noted that the actual linkage for supporting and operating the leg rest comprises four elements, namely, the guide levers 56a and the three links 72a, 68 and 82. It will be understood, of course, that in most instances a duplicate set of linkage However, this is not always essential if the linkage is located at an intermediate point in the width of the chair. The linkage is exceedingly simple but very effective and smooth in operation. a

This construction embodies a minimum number of elements for supporting and moving both the seat and leg rest.

Figs. 3 and 4 show a modification .of the invention in which the frame, seat and back rest are shown as of substantially the same construction as illustrated in the previous figures. In this construction, however, the seat is pivoted at points 40b to intermediate points of the links 44b which are pivoted at their upper ends at points 46b to the stationary frame. The upper parts of these links 44b thus serve to assist in tilting the seat when the seat is pushed forward by a backward tilting of the back rest. In both the constructions shown in Figs. 3 and 4 and in Figs. 1 and 2 the seat itself serves as means for transmitting motion from the back rest to the guide links.

The lower ends of the guide links 44b are pivoted at 64b to the lower ends of thrust links 62b, the other ends of which are pivoted at points 60b to the reversely bent short arms 57b of guide levers 56b which are pivoted to the seat at points 58b. In this construction, owing to the reversely bent short arms 57b which locate the line of thrust exerted by the links 62b below the axis of the pivots 58b instead of above the axis as shown in Figs. 1 and 2 it will be seen that links 62b are thrust links instead of pull links. Obviously, these linkages may be modified by changing the relative locations of the pivots so that the system may be designed to use either pull links or thrust links. The leg rest 54 and links 68, 72a and 82 are the same as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

It is understood that certain parts, elements or mechanisms shown in one figure may be substituted for corresponding parts, elements or mechanisms of the embodiments shown in other figures of the drawings.

I have described preferred embodiments of my invention, but it is understood that this disclosure is for the purpose of illustration, and that various omissions or changes in shape, proportion and arrangement of parts,

of with respect to said frame, a leg rest and means for connecting said leg rest and said seat permitting movement of said leg rest from a retracted position when said body supporting members are tilted, said means comprising a system of linkage including two links pivoted to said leg rest at spaced locations of the Width thereof from front to rear, said system alsotincluding a connecting link pivoted at one end to the end of said link pivoted to the leg rest furthest from the rear edge thereof, and crossing the other link pivoted to the leg rest and pivoted thereto at said point of crossing, the other end of said connecting link being pivoted to the seat near the front thereof, a leg rest guide lever pivoted to the seat, said leg rest guide lever having an arm pivoted to the rear end of said other link pivoted to the leg rest at a point beyond said pivoted crossing point, said leg rest guide lever having a second arm and an operating linkage system including a link connected at one end to said second arm, a guide member pivoted at spaced points to the other end of said link, to the frame and to a tiltable body supporting member for projecting the leg rest when the body supporting members are moved .to reclining position.

2. A construction as claimed in claim 1 in which said operating system guide member is pivoted between ends to the frame, at its lower end to the seat, and at its upper end to the link connected to the second arm of the leg rest guide lever.

3. In a reclining article of furniture having a stationary frame, body supporting members comprising a seat and back rest, the back rest being pivoted on the frame, the seat being pivoted to the back rest at a point removed from the pivotal axis of the back rest, a leg rest and means for connecting said leg rest and said seat permitting movement of said leg rest from a retracted position when said body supporting members are tilted, said means comprising a system of linkage including two links pivoted its to said leg rest at spaced locations of the width thereof from front to rear, said system also including a connecting link pivoted at one end to the end of said link pivoted to the leg rest furthest from the rear edge thereof, and crossing the other link pivoted to the leg rest and pivoted thereto at said point of crossing, the other end of said connecting link being pivoted to the seat, a leg rest guide lever pivoted to the seat at a distance from the pivotal point of the connecting link to the seat, said leg rest guide lever having an arm pivoted to the rear end of said other link pivoted to the leg rest at a point beyond said pivoted crossing point, said leg rest guide lever having a second arm and an operating linkage system connecting said second arm, the frame and the tiltable body supporting members for projecting the leg rest when the body supporting members are moved to reclining position, said operating linkage system comprising a guide member having three spaced pivot points thereon, one of which is pivoted to the frame, one of which is pivoted to the seat, and the third of which is pivoted to a link connected to the second arm of the leg rest guide lever.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 948,029 Trimble Feb. 1, 1910 1,608,064 Henry Nov. 23, 1926 2,660,225 Luckhardt Nov. 24, 1953 2,670,030 Richardson .d Feb. 23, 1954 2,749,970 Quackenbush June 12, 1956 2,750,988 Luckhardt June 19, 1956 2,781,824 Lorenz Feb. 19, 1957 2,781,825 Lorenz Feb. 19, 1957 2,782,836 Krakauer Feb. 26, 1957 FOREIGN PATENTS 158,394 Germany Feb. 22, 1905 166,239 Australia Dec. 6, 1955 

